Main Engine Cut Off

Mark Albrecht joins me to talk about his time on the Trump 2024 Transition Team, the thinking behind some of the policy decisions we're starting to see in the space and national security spheres, and more.This episode of Main Engine Cut Off is brought to you by 33 executive producers—Joonas, The Astrogators at SEE, Will and Lars from Agile, Theo and Violet, Frank, Russell, Kris, Bob, Lee, Pat, Ryan, Fred, Matt, Heiko, Pat from KC, Joakim (Jo-Kim), Donald, Josh from Impulse, Stealth Julian, Jan, Steve, Better Every Day Studios, Warren, David, Joel, Natasha Tsakos (pronounced Tszakos), Tim Dodd (the Everyday Astronaut!), and four anonymous—and hundreds of supporters.TopicsMark Albrecht (@MarkAlbrecht68) / XFalling Back To Earth: A First Hand Account Of The Great Space Race And The End Of The Cold War: Albrecht, Mark: 9780615447094: Amazon.com: BooksMark Albrecht on X: “Today concludes my service for the 47 transition team (4th time) We have charted a bold, aggressive, and urgent agenda for civil and national security space based on the direction and guidance of President Trump. It will be a golden era of US Space exploration, innovation…”Second Trump administration begins with confusion on acting NASA leadership - SpaceNewsWhite House budget proposal would phase out SLS and Orion, scale back ISS operations - SpaceNewsNASA budget proposal draws strong criticism - SpaceNewsSpace Force chief makes case for increased funding before House panel - SpaceNewsThe ShowLike the show? Support the show on Patreon or Substack!Email your thoughts, comments, and questions to anthony@mainenginecutoff.comFollow @WeHaveMECOFollow @meco@spacey.space on MastodonListen to MECO HeadlinesListen to Off-NominalJoin the Off-Nominal DiscordSubscribe on Apple Podcasts, Overcast, Pocket Casts, Spotify, Google Play, Stitcher, TuneIn or elsewhereSubscribe to the Main Engine Cut Off NewsletterArtwork photo by NASAWork with me and my design and development agency: Pine Works

We take a tour of Marotta Controls in Montville, New Jersey, to see how they work, how they develop, produce, and test products at rate, and we learn about the most feared topic in space—valves!This episode of Main Engine Cut Off is brought to you by 33 executive producers—Joonas, Josh from Impulse, Heiko, Donald, Stealth Julian, Warren, Kris, Frank, Steve, Bob, Better Every Day Studios, The Astrogators at SEE, Joakim (Jo-Kim), Fred, Matt, Pat from KC, Natasha Tsakos (pronounced Tszakos), Joel, Theo and Violet, Russell, Jan, Pat, Ryan, Tim Dodd (the Everyday Astronaut!), David, Will and Lars from Agile, Lee, and four anonymous—and hundreds of supporters.TopicsControls Engineering | Control System Company | MarottaSpace Controls | Spacecraft Control Systems | MarottaMarotta's post with photos of my tourBrian's photo of a thruster firingThe ShowLike the show? Support the show on Patreon or Substack!Email your thoughts, comments, and questions to anthony@mainenginecutoff.comFollow @WeHaveMECOFollow @meco@spacey.space on MastodonListen to MECO HeadlinesListen to Off-NominalJoin the Off-Nominal DiscordSubscribe on Apple Podcasts, Overcast, Pocket Casts, Spotify, Google Play, Stitcher, TuneIn or elsewhereSubscribe to the Main Engine Cut Off NewsletterArtwork photo by NASAWork with me and my design and development agency: Pine Works

Caleb Henry, Director of Research at Quilty Space, joins me to talk megaconstellations, the hypersonics industry, and more.This episode of Main Engine Cut Off is brought to you by 33 executive producers—Joonas, Josh from Impulse, Heiko, Donald, Stealth Julian, Warren, Kris, Frank, Steve, Bob, Better Every Day Studios, The Astrogators at SEE, Joakim (Jo-Kim), Fred, Matt, Pat from KC, Natasha Tsakos (pronounced Tszakos), Joel, Theo and Violet, Russell, Jan, Pat, Ryan, Tim Dodd (the Everyday Astronaut!), David, Will and Lars from Agile, Lee, and four anonymous—and hundreds of supporters.TopicsCaleb Henry (@ChenrySpace) / XThe OneWeb Book | Caleb Henry | SubstackQuilty SpaceArmed services committees propose $150 billion funding boost for defense - SpaceNewsUrsa Major wins $28.5 million Air Force contract to flight-test Draper engine for hypersonic use - SpaceNewsUnited Airlines bumps GEO operators off fleet for Starlink Wi-Fi - SpaceNewsFree Starlink Wi-Fi now on most Hawaiian Airlines transpacific fleet - SpaceNewsAtlas launches first operational Project Kuiper satellites - SpaceNewsProject Kuiper on X: “Take a look at this @ULAlaunch clip of the first Kuiper satellites being released into low Earth orbit approximately 280 miles above the planet. Deployment takes place over a 15-minute period after launch, with satellites released three at a time from the dispenser system.”Here's your first look at Project Kuiper's low-cost customer terminalsAssessing Kuiper's Satellite Manufacturing Delays — Quilty SpaceElon vs EchoStar: Starlink's RF Snitch Mission, Explained | QuickTakes — Quilty SpaceThe ShowLike the show? Support the show on Patreon or Substack!Email your thoughts, comments, and questions to anthony@mainenginecutoff.comFollow @WeHaveMECOFollow @meco@spacey.space on MastodonListen to MECO HeadlinesListen to Off-NominalJoin the Off-Nominal DiscordSubscribe on Apple Podcasts, Overcast, Pocket Casts, Spotify, Google Play, Stitcher, TuneIn or elsewhereSubscribe to the Main Engine Cut Off NewsletterArtwork photo by NASAWork with me and my design and development agency: Pine Works

Jared Isaacman was in Congress for a confirmation hearing for his nomination as NASA Administrator, which was followed up by reports of huge proposed budget cuts at NASA and NOAA. And as expected, SpaceX, ULA, and Blue Origin all received awards for NSSL Phase 3 Lane 2.This episode of Main Engine Cut Off is brought to you by 33 executive producers—nt, Frank, Joonas, Will and Lars from Agile, Pat from KC, Joakim (Jo-Kim), Josh from Impulse, Pat, Bob, Warren, Heiko, Steve, Theo and Violet, David, Kris, Donald, Joel, Fred, Jan, Lee, Russell, The Astrogators at SEE, Ryan, Matt, Stealth Julian, Tim Dodd (the Everyday Astronaut!), Better Every Day Studios, and four anonymous—and hundreds of supporters.TopicsIsaacman Insists NASA Can Pursue Moon and Mars Goals Simultaneously – SpacePolicyOnline.comTrump White House budget proposal eviscerates science funding at NASA - Ars TechnicaPlanetary Science Caucus Co-Chairs Bacon & Chu Statement on White House's Proposed Budget Cuts to NASA Science | U.S. Representative Don BaconNOAA budget proposal would affect weather satellite, other space programs - SpaceNewsSpaceX, ULA, Blue Origin win $13.7 billion in U.S. military launch contracts through 2029 - SpaceNewsSpace Force reassigns GPS satellite launch from ULA to SpaceX - SpaceNewsSpaceX secures majority of NSSL Phase 3 fiscal year 2025 missions - SpaceNewsThe ShowLike the show? Support the show on Patreon or Substack!Email your thoughts, comments, and questions to anthony@mainenginecutoff.comFollow @WeHaveMECOFollow @meco@spacey.space on MastodonListen to MECO HeadlinesListen to Off-NominalJoin the Off-Nominal DiscordSubscribe on Apple Podcasts, Overcast, Pocket Casts, Spotify, Google Play, Stitcher, TuneIn or elsewhereSubscribe to the Main Engine Cut Off NewsletterArtwork photo by FireflyWork with me and my design and development agency: Pine Works

Eric Berger of Ars Technica joins me to talk about his recent interviews with Butch and Suni in the aftermath of their flight, the update NASA put out about Starliner, and how it all lands from where we are now.This episode of Main Engine Cut Off is brought to you by 32 executive producers—Ryan, David, Theo and Violet, Fred, Steve, Warren, The Astrogators at SEE, Matt, Pat, Tim Dodd (the Everyday Astronaut!), Frank, Joakim (Jo-Kim), Will and Lars from Agile, Josh from Impulse, Joonas, Russell, Bob, Donald, Pat from KC, Jan, Heiko, Stealth Julian, Lee, Joel, Better Every Day Studios, Kris, and four anonymous—and hundreds of supporters.TopicsEric Berger (@SciGuySpace) / XEric Berger | Ars TechnicaStarliner's flight to the space station was far wilder than most of us thought - Ars TechnicaNASA to put Starliner's thrusters through an extensive workout before next launch - Ars TechnicaNASA likely to significantly delay the launch of Crew 9 due to Starliner issues - Ars TechnicaThe ShowLike the show? Support the show on Patreon or Substack!Email your thoughts, comments, and questions to anthony@mainenginecutoff.comFollow @WeHaveMECOFollow @meco@spacey.space on MastodonListen to MECO HeadlinesListen to Off-NominalJoin the Off-Nominal DiscordSubscribe on Apple Podcasts, Overcast, Pocket Casts, Spotify, Google Play, Stitcher, TuneIn or elsewhereSubscribe to the Main Engine Cut Off NewsletterArtwork photo by FireflyWork with me and my design and development agency: Pine Works

Eric Schmidt has taken a majority stake in Relativity and will serve as its CEO, so this is a good time to check in on their plans. Rocket Lab is planning to acquire Mynaric, and I have a theory I felt like I needed to float.This episode of Main Engine Cut Off is brought to you by 32 executive producers—Matt, Donald, Frank, David, Lee, Will and Lars from Agile, Kris, Pat from KC, Joel, Bob, The Astrogators at SEE, Joakim (Jo-Kim), Steve, Josh from Impulse, Tim Dodd (the Everyday Astronaut!), Warren, Better Every Day Studios, Ryan, Heiko, Joonas, Pat, Jan, Fred, Stealth Julian, Theo and Violet, Russell, and four anonymous—and hundreds of supporters.TopicsEric Schmidt Joins Relativity Space as C.E.O. - The New York TimesFormer Google CEO Eric Schmidt is the new leader of Relativity Space - Ars TechnicaRelativity Space makes significant progress on Terran R; flight hardware in production - NASASpaceFlight.comRelativity names Eric Schmidt as CEO as it updates Terran R development - SpaceNewsTo avoid the Panama Canal, Relativity Space is moving some operations to Texas - Ars TechnicaRocket Lab to expand into laser communications with Mynaric acquisition - SpaceNewsThe ShowLike the show? Support the show on Patreon or Substack!Email your thoughts, comments, and questions to anthony@mainenginecutoff.comFollow @WeHaveMECOFollow @meco@spacey.space on MastodonListen to MECO HeadlinesListen to Off-NominalJoin the Off-Nominal DiscordSubscribe on Apple Podcasts, Overcast, Pocket Casts, Spotify, Google Play, Stitcher, TuneIn or elsewhereSubscribe to the Main Engine Cut Off NewsletterArtwork photo by FireflyWork with me and my design and development agency: Pine Works

Josh Dinner of Space.com joins me to talk about a wild week in space—Firefly's Blue Ghost 1, Intuitive Machines' IM-2, SpaceX's Starship Flight 8, Rocket Lab announcements, and more.This episode of Main Engine Cut Off is brought to you by 32 executive producers—Stealth Julian, Kris, Heiko, Pat, Jan, Warren, Josh from Impulse, Ryan, Lee, Joel, David, Tim Dodd (the Everyday Astronaut!), Matt, Pat from KC, Will and Lars from Agile, Joonas, Donald, Bob, Frank, Joakim (Jo-Kim), Steve, Theo and Violet, Better Every Day Studios, Fred, Russell, The Astrogators at SEE, and four anonymous—and hundreds of supporters.TopicsJosh Dinner (@JoshDinner) / XArticles by Josh Dinner, Staff Writer, Spaceflight | SpaceIM-2 lunar lander mission ends - SpaceNewsAstroForge | Odin't: A Complete Debrief of Our Deep Space MissionStarship destroyed on second consecutive test flight - SpaceNewsStarship's Eighth Flight Test - SpaceX - LaunchesRocket Lab Announces Flatellite: A New Satellite Designed for Mass Manufacture and Tailored for Large Constellations | Rocket LabRocket Lab Reveals Ocean Platform for Neutron Rocket Landings at Sea | Rocket LabThe ShowLike the show? Support the show on Patreon or Substack!Email your thoughts, comments, and questions to anthony@mainenginecutoff.comFollow @WeHaveMECOFollow @meco@spacey.space on MastodonListen to MECO HeadlinesListen to Off-NominalJoin the Off-Nominal DiscordSubscribe on Apple Podcasts, Overcast, Pocket Casts, Spotify, Google Play, Stitcher, TuneIn or elsewhereSubscribe to the Main Engine Cut Off NewsletterArtwork photo by FireflyWork with me and my design and development agency: Pine Works

Former Congressman and NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine joins me to talk space policy, then and now: CLPS, Commercial Space Stations, Artemis, international partnerships, and more.This episode of Main Engine Cut Off is brought to you by 32 executive producers—Stealth Julian, Kris, Heiko, Pat, Jan, Warren, Josh from Impulse, Ryan, Lee, Joel, David, Tim Dodd (the Everyday Astronaut!), Matt, Pat from KC, Will and Lars from Agile, Joonas, Donald, Bob, Frank, Joakim (Jo-Kim), Steve, Theo and Violet, Better Every Day Studios, Fred, Russell, The Astrogators at SEE, and four anonymous—and hundreds of supporters.TopicsHome | The Artemis GroupTouchdown! Carrying NASA Science, Firefly's Blue Ghost Lands on Moon - NASAFirefly's Blue Ghost 1 lands on the moon - SpaceNewsBlue Ghost Mission 1 - Firefly AerospaceFalcon 9 launches second Intuitive Machines lunar lander - SpaceNewsHouse Committee Backs Moon-to-Mars, But Changes May Be Needed – SpacePolicyOnline.comThe ShowLike the show? Support the show on Patreon or Substack!Email your thoughts, comments, and questions to anthony@mainenginecutoff.comFollow @WeHaveMECOFollow @meco@spacey.space on MastodonListen to MECO HeadlinesListen to Off-NominalJoin the Off-Nominal DiscordSubscribe on Apple Podcasts, Overcast, Pocket Casts, Spotify, Google Play, Stitcher, TuneIn or elsewhereSubscribe to the Main Engine Cut Off NewsletterArtwork photo by FireflyWork with me and my design and development agency: Pine Works

Matthew Weinzierl and Brendan Rosseau join me to talk about their new book, Space to Grow: Unlocking the Final Economic Frontier. We talk about the economics driving the space industry today, how traditional economic theories apply—or not!—to the industry, and how to use economics as a lens to shape your business and policy approach to the future.This episode of Main Engine Cut Off is brought to you by 31 executive producers—Josh from Impulse, Russell, Joakim (Jo-Kim), Ryan, Lee, Fred, Pat from KC, Steve, David, Stealth Julian, Joel, Jan, Frank, Matt, Bob, Pat, Better Every Day Studios, Joonas, Donald, Warren, Theo and Violet, Kris, Tim Dodd (the Everyday Astronaut!), The Astrogators at SEE, Will and Lars from Agile, and four anonymous—and hundreds of supporters.TopicsSpace to Grow: Unlocking the Final Economic Frontier: Weinzierl, Matthew, Rosseau, Brendan: 9781647827168: Amazon.com: BooksEconomics of Space | Economics of SpaceThe ShowLike the show? Support the show on Patreon or Substack!Email your thoughts, comments, and questions to anthony@mainenginecutoff.comFollow @WeHaveMECOFollow @meco@spacey.space on MastodonListen to MECO HeadlinesListen to Off-NominalJoin the Off-Nominal DiscordSubscribe on Apple Podcasts, Overcast, Pocket Casts, Spotify, Google Play, Stitcher, TuneIn or elsewhereSubscribe to the Main Engine Cut Off NewsletterArtwork photo by Blue OriginWork with me and my design and development agency: Pine Works

Eric Berger of Ars Technica joins me to talk about Elon Musk and the whirlwind start of the second Trump administration, and what the future may hold for SLS.This episode of Main Engine Cut Off is brought to you by 31 executive producers—Will and Lars from Agile, Fred, The Astrogators at SEE, Ryan, Stealth Julian, Warren, Joakim (Jo-Kim), Tim Dodd (the Everyday Astronaut!), David, Frank, Lee, Joonas, Josh from Impulse, Joel, Matt, Steve, Pat, Bob, Pat from KC, Theo and Violet, Better Every Day Studios, Donald, Jan, Russell, Kris, and four anonymous—and hundreds of supporters.TopicsEric Berger (@SciGuySpace) / XEric Berger | Ars TechnicaBoeing has informed its employees of uncertainty in future SLS contracts - Ars TechnicaNASA will swap Dragon spacecraft on the ground to return Butch and Suni sooner - Ars TechnicaConcern about SpaceX influence at NASA grows with new appointee - Ars TechnicaThe ShowLike the show? Support the show on Patreon or Substack!Email your thoughts, comments, and questions to anthony@mainenginecutoff.comFollow @WeHaveMECOFollow @meco@spacey.space on MastodonListen to MECO HeadlinesListen to Off-NominalJoin the Off-Nominal DiscordSubscribe on Apple Podcasts, Overcast, Pocket Casts, Spotify, Google Play, Stitcher, TuneIn or elsewhereSubscribe to the Main Engine Cut Off NewsletterArtwork photo by Blue OriginWork with me and my design and development agency: Pine Works

Jonathan McDowell—astrophysicist at Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics and the namesake of the McDowell Line at 80 kilometers—joins me to talk about his fundraiser to move his epic space library to a new, permanent home. Let's help him out!This episode of Main Engine Cut Off is brought to you by 32 executive producers—Frank, Lee, Joel, Theo and Violet, Harrison, Josh from Impulse, Matt, Warren, Will and Lars from Agile, Donald, Russell, Kris, Fred, Better Every Day Studios, Pat from KC, Joakim, Steve, Tim Dodd (the Everyday Astronaut!), Ryan, Pat, David, Stealth Julian, Bob, The Astrogators at SEE, Jan, Joonas, and four anonymous—and hundreds of supporters.TopicsFundraiser by Jonathan McDowell : Fund Jonathan's Space Report Library TransitionJonathan's Space ReportJonathan McDowell (@planet4589.bsky.social) — BlueskyJonathan McDowell (@planet4589) / XThe edge of space: Revisiting the Karman Line - ScienceDirectT+105: Jonathan McDowell - Main Engine Cut OffThe ShowLike the show? Support the show on Patreon or Substack!Email your thoughts, comments, and questions to anthony@mainenginecutoff.comFollow @WeHaveMECOFollow @meco@spacey.space on MastodonListen to MECO HeadlinesListen to Off-NominalJoin the Off-Nominal DiscordSubscribe on Apple Podcasts, Overcast, Pocket Casts, Spotify, Google Play, Stitcher, TuneIn or elsewhereSubscribe to the Main Engine Cut Off NewsletterArtwork photo by SpaceXWork with me and my design and development agency: Pine Works

Blue Origin flew New Glenn successfully for the first time, and SpaceX flew Starship for the seventh time. Both featured failures at different points of the flight, with the impacts on Starship being significantly bigger than those on New Glenn.This episode of Main Engine Cut Off is brought to you by 32 executive producers—Frank, Lee, Joel, Theo and Violet, Harrison, Josh from Impulse, Matt, Warren, Will and Lars from Agile, Donald, Russell, Kris, Fred, Better Every Day Studios, Pat from KC, Joakim, Steve, Tim Dodd (the Everyday Astronaut!), Ryan, Pat, David, Stealth Julian, Bob, The Astrogators at SEE, Jan, Joonas, and four anonymous—and hundreds of supporters.TopicsNew Glenn reaches orbit on first launch - SpaceNewsFAA requires mishap investigation for failed New Glenn landing - SpaceNewsStarship's Seventh Flight Test - SpaceX - LaunchesStarship upper stage lost on seventh test flight - SpaceNewsFAA investigating Starship debris reports - SpaceNewsThe ShowLike the show? Support the show on Patreon or Substack!Email your thoughts, comments, and questions to anthony@mainenginecutoff.comFollow @WeHaveMECOFollow @meco@spacey.space on MastodonListen to MECO HeadlinesListen to Off-NominalJoin the Off-Nominal DiscordSubscribe on Apple Podcasts, Overcast, Pocket Casts, Spotify, Google Play, Stitcher, TuneIn or elsewhereSubscribe to the Main Engine Cut Off NewsletterArtwork photo by SpaceXWork with me and my design and development agency: Pine Works

Axiom Space announced changes to their station build out plan, bringing free-flying capability forward in their timeline and switching to a berthing port at the ISS to avoid the US Deorbit Vehicle. Firefly won another CLPS task order, this time for a lander with a rover, and for quite a bit more money than the last few.This episode of Main Engine Cut Off is brought to you by 32 executive producers—Josh from Impulse, Fred, Kris, Will and Lars from Agile, Pat, Ryan, Donald, Joel, Better Every Day Studios, Joakim (Jo-Kim), Jan, David, Pat from KC, Bob, Harrison, Joonas, Steve, Warren, The Astrogators at SEE, Tim Dodd (the Everyday Astronaut!), Russell, Lee, Matt, Stealth Julian, Theo and Violet, Frank, and four anonymous—and hundreds of supporters.TopicsAxiom Space revises space station assembly plans - SpaceNewsAxiom Space Accelerates Axiom Station AssemblyAxiom Station — Axiom SpaceMore NASA Science, Tech will Fly to Moon Aboard Future Firefly Flight - NASAThe ShowLike the show? Support the show!Email your thoughts, comments, and questions to anthony@mainenginecutoff.comFollow @WeHaveMECOFollow @meco@spacey.space on MastodonListen to MECO HeadlinesListen to Off-NominalJoin the Off-Nominal DiscordSubscribe on Apple Podcasts, Overcast, Pocket Casts, Spotify, Google Play, Stitcher, TuneIn or elsewhereSubscribe to the Main Engine Cut Off NewsletterArtwork photo by SpaceXWork with me and my design and development agency: Pine Works

Jared Isaacman, the man with a private space program, has been nominated NASA Administrator, to run the nation's space program.This episode of Main Engine Cut Off is brought to you by 32 executive producers—Frank, Lee, Joel, Theo and Violet, Harrison, Josh from Impulse, Matt, Warren, Will and Lars from Agile, Donald, Russell, Kris, Fred, Better Every Day Studios, Pat from KC, Joakim, Steve, Tim Dodd (the Everyday Astronaut!), Ryan, Pat, David, Stealth Julian, Bob, The Astrogators at SEE, Jan, Joonas, and four anonymous—and hundreds of supporters.TopicsT+287: Polaris Dawn (with Jared Isaacman) - Main Engine Cut OffT+288: The Return of President Trump - Main Engine Cut OffJared Isaacman Tapped to be Next NASA Administrator – SpacePolicyOnline.comTrump selects Isaacman to be NASA administrator - SpaceNewsHow did the CEO of an online payments firm become the nominee to lead NASA? - Ars TechnicaThe ShowLike the show? Support the show on Patreon or Substack!Email your thoughts, comments, and questions to anthony@mainenginecutoff.comFollow @WeHaveMECOFollow @meco@spacey.space on MastodonListen to MECO HeadlinesListen to Off-NominalJoin the Off-Nominal DiscordSubscribe on Apple Podcasts, Overcast, Pocket Casts, Spotify, Google Play, Stitcher, TuneIn or elsewhereSubscribe to the Main Engine Cut Off NewsletterArtwork photo by SpaceXWork with me and my design and development agency: Pine Works

A special preview of MECO Headlines, covering Starship Flight 6, ABL's pivot to missile defense, and much more. Subscribe today to get Headlines regularly!This episode of Main Engine Cut Off is brought to you by 31 executive producers—Jan, Matt, Fred, Harrison, The Astrogators at SEE, Pat from KC, Will and Lars from Agile, Warren, Steve, Joel, Pat, Better Every Day Studios, Donald, Lee, David, Kris, Frank, Josh from Impulse, Joonas, Ryan, Russell, Tim Dodd (the Everyday Astronaut!), Stealth Julian, Bob, Theo and Violet, and four anonymous—and hundreds of supporters.TopicsABL Space exits commercial launch market, shifts focus to missile defense - SpaceNewsDan Piemont on X: “ANNOUNCEMENT Today we're announcing major changes to our mission at ABL. We are stepping away from the commercial launch market and focusing our efforts on missile defense. Commercial Launch Over the past six years, we developed an orbital rocket with unique traits…”The ShowLike the show? Support the show on Patreon or Substack!Email your thoughts, comments, and questions to anthony@mainenginecutoff.comFollow @WeHaveMECOFollow @meco@spacey.space on MastodonListen to MECO HeadlinesListen to Off-NominalJoin the Off-Nominal DiscordSubscribe on Apple Podcasts, Overcast, Pocket Casts, Spotify, Google Play, Stitcher, TuneIn or elsewhereSubscribe to the Main Engine Cut Off NewsletterArtwork photo by SpaceXWork with me and my design and development agency: Pine Works

Donald Trump has been reelected President of the United States, and the main character of spaceflight, Elon Musk, is one of his top advisors. Some thoughts on where things may go from here, and a bit of my wishlist.This episode of Main Engine Cut Off is brought to you by 31 executive producers—Lee, Russell, The Astrogators at SEE, Theo and Violet, David, Fred, Donald, Stealth Julian, Josh from Impulse, Joel, Harrison, Warren, Ryan, Pat from KC, Tim Dodd (the Everyday Astronaut!), Will and Lars from Agile, Frank, Steve, Joonas, Bob, Better Every Day Studios, Pat, Kris, Jan, Matt, and four anonymous—and hundreds of supporters.TopicsNASA faces disruptive presidential transition - SpaceNewsElon Musk on X (DOGE statement)Eric Berger on X: “To be clear we are far from anything being settled, but based on what I'm hearing it seems at least 50-50 that NASA's Space Launch System rocket will be canceled. Not Block 1B. Not Block 2. All of it. There are other ways to get Orion to the Moon.”The ShowLike the show? Support the show on Patreon or Substack!Email your thoughts, comments, and questions to anthony@mainenginecutoff.comFollow @WeHaveMECOFollow @meco@spacey.space on MastodonListen to MECO HeadlinesListen to Off-NominalJoin the Off-Nominal DiscordSubscribe on Apple Podcasts, Overcast, Pocket Casts, Spotify, Google Play, Stitcher, TuneIn or elsewhereSubscribe to the Main Engine Cut Off NewsletterArtwork photo by SpaceXWork with me and my design and development agency: Pine Works

Jared Isaacman of the Polaris Program joins me to talk about the Polaris Dawn mission, his EVA experience, the Hubble Space Telescope situation, how the Polaris Program and SpaceX approach tech development and flight planning, and the Philadelphia Eagles.This episode of Main Engine Cut Off is brought to you by 31 executive producers—Jan, Matt, Fred, Harrison, The Astrogators at SEE, Pat from KC, Will and Lars from Agile, Warren, Steve, Joel, Pat, Better Every Day Studios, Donald, Lee, David, Kris, Frank, Josh from Impulse, Joonas, Ryan, Russell, Tim Dodd (the Everyday Astronaut!), Stealth Julian, Bob, Theo and Violet, and four anonymous—and hundreds of supporters.TopicsJared Isaacman (@rookisaacman) / XPolaris ProgramPolaris DawnSpaceX on X: “The @PolarisProgram's Polaris Dawn crew performed the first-ever spacewalk from Dragon, travelled farther from Earth than anyone since the Apollo program, and used @Starlink to connect with those back on Earth”T+233: Jared Isaacman, Polaris Program - Main Engine Cut OffPrivate mission to save Hubble Space Telescope raises concerns, NASA emails show : NPRIn first sports bet from space, billionaire Jared Isaacson picks Eagles to win Super Bowl LVI | PhillyVoiceThe ShowLike the show? Support the show on Patreon or Substack!Email your thoughts, comments, and questions to anthony@mainenginecutoff.comFollow @WeHaveMECOFollow @meco@spacey.space on MastodonListen to MECO HeadlinesListen to Off-NominalJoin the Off-Nominal DiscordSubscribe on Apple Podcasts, Overcast, Pocket Casts, Spotify, Google Play, Stitcher, TuneIn or elsewhereSubscribe to the Main Engine Cut Off NewsletterArtwork photo by SpaceXWork with me and my design and development agency: Pine Works

SpaceX is entering a new era for Starship after the epic Flight 5, with its pinpoint ship reentry and staggeringly beautiful booster catch.This episode of Main Engine Cut Off is brought to you by 31 executive producers—Matt, Will and Lars from Agile, Steve, Harrison, Warren, Frank, Russell, Josh from Impulse, Tim Dodd (the Everyday Astronaut!), Stealth Julian, Fred, Lee, David, Theo and Violet, Joonas, Better Every Day Studios, Jan, Ryan, Pat, Pat from KC, Joel, Kris, Donald, The Astrogators at SEE, Bob, and four anonymous—and hundreds of supporters.TopicsSpaceX on X: “Watch Starship's fifth flight test”SpaceX on X: “Starship on its fifth flight test. Views powered by @Starlink”Starship's Fifth Flight Test - SpaceX - LaunchesSpaceX Catches a Super Heavy Booster During a Milestone Flight 5 - NASASpaceFlight.comThe ShowLike the show? Support the show on Patreon or Substack!Email your thoughts, comments, and questions to anthony@mainenginecutoff.comFollow @WeHaveMECOFollow @meco@spacey.space on MastodonListen to MECO HeadlinesListen to Off-NominalJoin the Off-Nominal DiscordSubscribe on Apple Podcasts, Overcast, Pocket Casts, Spotify, Google Play, Stitcher, TuneIn or elsewhereSubscribe to the Main Engine Cut Off NewsletterArtwork photo by SpaceXWork with me and my design and development agency: Pine Works

SpaceX and the FAA have been going a few rounds back and forth in public over fines and delays. It's weird and inscrutable but maybe helpful in the long run in a few ways.This episode of Main Engine Cut Off is brought to you by 31 executive producers—Donald, Pat from KC, Joel, Jan, Lee, Better Every Day Studios, Fred, Theo and Violet, Russell, Pat, Warren, Joonas, David, Stealth Julian, Bob, Harrison, Frank, Josh from Impulse, The Astrogators at SEE, Kris, Ryan, Will and Lars from Agile, Steve, Matt, Tim Dodd (the Everyday Astronaut!), and four anonymous—and 821 other supporters.TopicsThe war of words between SpaceX and the FAA keeps escalating | Ars TechnicaFAA administrator defends SpaceX licensing actions on safety grounds - SpaceNewsSpaceX letter criticizes FAA for “systemic challenges” in launch licensing - SpaceNewsSpaceX on X: “FAA Administrator Whitaker made several incorrect statements today regarding SpaceX. In fact, every statement he made was incorrect. It is deeply concerning that the Administrator does not appear to have accurate information immediately available to him with respect to SpaceX”Elon Musk on X: “Amazingly, no Starliner fines for Boeing! The FAA space division is harassing SpaceX about nonsense that doesn't affect safety while giving a free pass to Boeing even after NASA concluded that their spacecraft was not safe enough to bring back the astronauts. There need to be resignations from the FAA leadership.”Elon Musk on X: “Shouldn't the head of an organization responsible for regulating the safety of airplanes & rockets know something about how they work?”Reentry: SpaceX, Elon Musk, and the Reusable Rockets that Launched a Second Space Age | West Houston's Neighborhood BookshopReentry by Eric Berger - Audiobook - Audible.comReentry: SpaceX, Elon Musk, and the Reusable Rockets that Launched a Second Space Age Kindle EditionThe ShowLike the show? Support the show on Patreon or Substack!Email your thoughts, comments, and questions to anthony@mainenginecutoff.comFollow @WeHaveMECOFollow @meco@spacey.space on MastodonListen to MECO HeadlinesListen to Off-NominalJoin the Off-Nominal DiscordSubscribe on Apple Podcasts, Overcast, Pocket Casts, Spotify, Google Play, Stitcher, TuneIn or elsewhereSubscribe to the Main Engine Cut Off NewsletterArtwork photo by ESAWork with me and my design and development agency: Pine Works

Andy Lapsa, Co-Founder and CEO of Stoke Space, joins me to talk about the company, their vision for the future, their approach to launch, the larger trends that are shaping the market, and how that all might come together in the next few years.This episode of Main Engine Cut Off is brought to you by 31 executive producers—Steve, Fred, Joonas, Better Every Day Studios, Stealth Julian, Kris, Theo and Violet, Harrison, Matt, Josh from Impulse, Russell, Warren, Pat from KC, Ryan, Jan, Donald, Tim Dodd (the Everyday Astronaut!), Bob, Pat, Joel, Will and Lars from Agile, David, The Astrogators at SEE, Lee, Frank, and four anonymous—and 821 other supporters.TopicsAndy Lapsa (@AndyLapsa) / XStoke Space / 100% reusable rockets / USA100% Reusability, with Andy Lapsa (Stoke Space) - PayloadStoke Space Completes First Successful Hotfire Test of Full-Flow, Staged-Combustion Engine | Stoke Space / 100% reusable rockets / USAStoke Space ignites its ambitious main engine for the first time | Ars TechnicaHow Stoke Space's Unique Rocket Works // Exclusive Tour & Interview - YouTubeStoke Space aims to build rapidly reusable rocket with a completely novel design | Ars TechnicaThe ShowLike the show? Support the show on Patreon or Substack!Email your thoughts, comments, and questions to anthony@mainenginecutoff.comFollow @WeHaveMECOFollow @meco@spacey.space on MastodonListen to MECO HeadlinesListen to Off-NominalJoin the Off-Nominal DiscordSubscribe on Apple Podcasts, Overcast, Pocket Casts, Spotify, Google Play, Stitcher, TuneIn or elsewhereSubscribe to the Main Engine Cut Off NewsletterArtwork photo by ESAWork with me and my design and development agency: Pine Works

Jeff Foust of Space News joins me to talk about Starliner, Fram2, VIPER, Blue Moon, and everything else going on in space.This episode of Main Engine Cut Off is brought to you by 31 executive producers—Jan, Warren, Pat from KC, David, Frank, Lee, Joonas, Josh from Impulse, Steve, Harrison, Russell, Joel, Bob, The Astrogators at SEE, Stealth Julian, Tim Dodd (the Everyday Astronaut!), Kris, Fred, Theo and Violet, Matt, Donald, Will and Lars from Agile, Ryan, Pat, Better Every Day Studios, and four anonymous—and 823 other supporters.TopicsJeff Foust (@jeff_foust) / XJeff Foust, Author at SpaceNewsNASA pushes Starliner return decision to late August - SpaceNewsCrypto entrepreneur buys Crew Dragon flight - SpaceNewsfram2: First Human Spaceflight To Earth's Polar RegionsNASA requests details on potential VIPER partnerships - SpaceNewsNASA payload to fly on first Blue Origin lunar lander mission - SpaceNewsLockheed Martin to acquire Terran Orbital - SpaceNewsThe ShowLike the show? Support the show on Patreon or Substack!Email your thoughts, comments, and questions to anthony@mainenginecutoff.comFollow @WeHaveMECOFollow @meco@spacey.space on MastodonListen to MECO HeadlinesListen to Off-NominalJoin the Off-Nominal DiscordSubscribe on Apple Podcasts, Overcast, Pocket Casts, Spotify, Google Play, Stitcher, TuneIn or elsewhereSubscribe to the Main Engine Cut Off NewsletterArtwork photo by ESAWork with me and my design and development agency: Pine Works

Mark Albrecht joins me to talk about the state and future of space policy in a very dynamic Presidential election year. He shares some stories from the past, talks about his experience in presidential transitions and on the National Space Council, and ruminates on what we may see in November and beyond.This episode of Main Engine Cut Off is brought to you by 31 executive producers—Stealth Julian, Joel, Lee, Kris, David, Ryan, Theo and Violet, Donald, Jan, Harrison, Will and Lars from Agile, Josh from Impulse, Matt, Steve, The Astrogators at SEE, Bob, Russell, Frank, Pat from KC, Joonas, Pat, Tim Dodd (the Everyday Astronaut!), Better Every Day Studios, Warren, Fred, and four anonymous—and 816 other supporters.TopicsMark Albrecht (@MarkAlbrecht68) / XFalling Back To Earth: A First Hand Account Of The Great Space Race And The End Of The Cold War: Albrecht, Mark: 9780615447094: Amazon.com: BooksEpisode 99 - Open-Box Protons - Off-NominalEpisode 160 - Cut That Shit Out (with Lori Garver and Loren Grush) - Off-NominalThe ShowLike the show? Support the show on Patreon or Substack!Email your thoughts, comments, and questions to anthony@mainenginecutoff.comFollow @WeHaveMECOFollow @meco@spacey.space on MastodonListen to MECO HeadlinesListen to Off-NominalJoin the Off-Nominal DiscordSubscribe on Apple Podcasts, Overcast, Pocket Casts, Spotify, Google Play, Stitcher, TuneIn or elsewhereSubscribe to the Main Engine Cut Off NewsletterArtwork photo by ESAWork with me and my design and development agency: Pine Works

Andrew Rush returns to the show to talk about his new venture, Star Catcher. They are working to build an energy grid in space, beaming energy directly to existing solar panels on satellites in LEO.This episode of Main Engine Cut Off is brought to you by 31 executive producers—Steve, Kris, Theo and Violet, Warren, Ryan, Josh from Impulse, Better Every Day Studios, Lee, Jan, Harrison, Fred, Matt, Donald, Tim Dodd (the Everyday Astronaut!), Pat, The Astrogators at SEE, Stealth Julian, Joonas, Russell, David, Pat from KC, Will and Lars from Agile, Bob, Joel, Frank, and four anonymous—and 821 other supporters.TopicsAndrew Rush (@RushSpace) / XStar CatcherStar Catcher (@StarCatcherInd) / X@starcatcherind • Instagram photos and videosStar Catcher | LinkedInThe ShowLike the show? Support the show on Patreon or Substack!Email your thoughts, comments, and questions to anthony@mainenginecutoff.comFollow @WeHaveMECOFollow @meco@spacey.space on MastodonListen to MECO HeadlinesListen to Off-NominalJoin the Off-Nominal DiscordSubscribe on Apple Podcasts, Overcast, Pocket Casts, Spotify, Google Play, Stitcher, TuneIn or elsewhereSubscribe to the Main Engine Cut Off NewsletterArtwork photo by NASAWork with me and my design and development agency: Pine Works

NASA announced their intent to cancel VIPER, the rover that was due to go to the Moon on Astrobotic's Griffin lander, after severe schedule and cost growth. SpaceX had a rare failure of Falcon 9 that has led to a (seemingly short) grounding of the vehicle.This episode of Main Engine Cut Off is brought to you by 31 executive producers—Frank, Donald, Fred, Bob, Steve, Matt, Will and Lars from Agile, Lee, Pat from KC, Better Every Day Studios, The Astrogators at SEE, Joonas, Warren, Jan, Russell, Pat, Josh from Impulse, Joel, David, Ryan, Stealth Julian, Kris, Theo and Violet, Tim Dodd (the Everyday Astronaut!), Harrison, and four anonymous—and 816 other supporters.TopicsNASA Ends VIPER Project, Continues Moon Exploration - NASANASA cancels VIPER lunar rover - SpaceNewsNASA Cancels VIPER Lunar Rover – SpacePolicyOnline.comChris Bergin - NSF on X: “Here are two minutes of the SpaceX launch stream where the ice build-up began.”Starlink 9-3 - SpaceX - LaunchesThe ShowLike the show? Support the show on Patreon or Substack!Email your thoughts, comments, and questions to anthony@mainenginecutoff.comFollow @WeHaveMECOFollow @meco@spacey.space on MastodonListen to MECO HeadlinesListen to Off-NominalJoin the Off-Nominal DiscordSubscribe on Apple Podcasts, Overcast, Pocket Casts, Spotify, Google Play, Stitcher, TuneIn or elsewhereSubscribe to the Main Engine Cut Off NewsletterArtwork photo by NASAWork with me and my design and development agency: Pine Works

A few weeks ago, we talked about Redwire's SabreSat spacecraft, and today we're talking about their Europe-based Phantom spacecraft. We talk about the spacecraft platform itself, how the different parts of Redwire work together, VLEO and its use cases, and how to fly satellites through little bits of atmosphere.This episode of Main Engine Cut Off is brought to you by 33 executive producers—Joel, The Astrogators at SEE, Warren, Russell, Joonas, Stealth Julian, Pat from KC, Will and Lars from Agile Space, Benjamin, Tyler, Harrison, Lee, Steve, Theo and Violet, Jan, Matt, David, Bob, Ryan, Donald, Pat, Kris, Josh from Impulse Space, Better Every Day Studios, Fred, Tim Dodd (the Everyday Astronaut!), Frank, SmallSpark Space Systems, and four anonymous—and 818 other supporters.TopicsPhantom -Redwire SpaceRedwire Announces Development of New European-Built Very Low Earth Orbit (VLEO) Spacecraft Platform called Phantom | Redwire SpaceEyes in the sky: The increasing importance of very low Earth orbit (VLEO) for national security - SpaceNewsESA funds Skimsat demonstrator study for VLEO - SpaceNewsThe ShowLike the show? Support the show!Email your thoughts, comments, and questions to anthony@mainenginecutoff.comFollow @WeHaveMECOFollow @meco@spacey.space on MastodonListen to MECO HeadlinesListen to Off-NominalJoin the Off-Nominal DiscordSubscribe on Apple Podcasts, Overcast, Pocket Casts, Spotify, Google Play, Stitcher, TuneIn or elsewhereSubscribe to the Main Engine Cut Off NewsletterArtwork photo by SpaceXWork with me and my design and development agency: Pine Works

Firefly added launch sites in Virginia and Sweden for its Alpha vehicle. NASA has selected SpaceX to build the ISS US Deorbit Vehicle, closed out their task orders to Collins for ISS spacesuits, and decided to keep Starliner at the ISS for a few more weeks.This episode of Main Engine Cut Off is brought to you by 33 executive producers—Joel, The Astrogators at SEE, Warren, Russell, Joonas, Stealth Julian, Pat from KC, Will and Lars from Agile Space, Benjamin, Tyler, Harrison, Lee, Steve, Theo and Violet, Jan, Matt, David, Bob, Ryan, Donald, Pat, Kris, Josh from Impulse Space, Better Every Day Studios, Fred, Tim Dodd (the Everyday Astronaut!), Frank, SmallSpark Space Systems, and four anonymous—and 818 other supporters.TopicsFirefly Aerospace Adds Alpha Launch Capability on Wallops Island, VirginiaSSC and Firefly Aerospace to Launch Satellites from Esrange in SwedenNASA Selects International Space Station US Deorbit Vehicle - NASAEric Berger on X: “Bill Spetch, operations integration manager for NASA's International Space Station Program, confirms that the US Deorbit Vehicle will be based on "Dragon heritage" hardware. It will involve modifications of the trunk.”NASA's International Space Station Deorbit Analysis Summary White PaperNASA's commercial spacesuit program just hit a major snag | Ars TechnicaNASA Collins xEVAS Update  – Space StationStarliner to remain on ISS for more thruster tests - SpaceNewsThe ShowLike the show? Support the show!Email your thoughts, comments, and questions to anthony@mainenginecutoff.comFollow @WeHaveMECOFollow @meco@spacey.space on MastodonListen to MECO HeadlinesListen to Off-NominalJoin the Off-Nominal DiscordSubscribe on Apple Podcasts, Overcast, Pocket Casts, Spotify, Google Play, Stitcher, TuneIn or elsewhereSubscribe to the Main Engine Cut Off NewsletterArtwork photo by SpaceXWork with me and my design and development agency: Pine Works

Redwire announced today that it has been awarded a contract from DARPA to serve as the prime mission integrator for its Otter program. For the program, and for the industry beyond that, they'll be developing SabreSat, an air-breathing spacecraft flying in VLEO. Spence Wise, Senior Vice President of Missions and Platforms at Redwire, joins me to discuss the program, VLEO generally, and to dive into the technical and operational details of SabreSat.This episode of Main Engine Cut Off is brought to you by 33 executive producers—Josh from Impulse Space, Benjamin, Pat, Steve, Lee, Ryan, Pat from KC, Donald, Warren, Theo and Violet, Harrison, SmallSpark Space Systems, Matt, Bob, Joonas, Joel, Frank, Tim Dodd (the Everyday Astronaut!), Stealth Julian, David, The Astrogators at SEE, Will and Lars from Agile Space, Fred, Russell, Kris, Better Every Day Studios, Tyler, Jan, and four anonymous—and 813 other supporters.TopicsSabreSat Orbital Drone - Redwire SpaceRedwire Awarded DARPA Prime Contract for SabreSat Spacecraft Very Low-Earth Orbit Demonstration | Redwire SpaceRedwire wins contract for VLEO demonstration - SpaceNewsThe ShowLike the show? Support the show!Email your thoughts, comments, and questions to anthony@mainenginecutoff.comFollow @WeHaveMECOFollow @meco@spacey.space on MastodonListen to MECO HeadlinesListen to Off-NominalJoin the Off-Nominal DiscordSubscribe on Apple Podcasts, Overcast, Pocket Casts, Spotify, Google Play, Stitcher, TuneIn or elsewhereSubscribe to the Main Engine Cut Off NewsletterArtwork photo by NASAWork with me and my design and development agency: Pine Works

NASA selected the organizations who will be carrying out mission design studies for the Mars Sample Return rethink, and the US Space Force selected the first 3 bidders for the National Security Space Launch Program Phase 3 Lane 1.This episode of Main Engine Cut Off is brought to you by 33 executive producers—Lee, Kris, Joel, Ryan, Russell, Steve, Theo and Violet, Better Every Day Studios, Joonas, Harrison, Pat from KC, Tim Dodd (the Everyday Astronaut!), Frank, Josh from Impulse Space, Stealth Julian, SmallSpark Space Systems, Will and Lars from Agile Space, Tyler, Bob, Fred, Donald, Warren, The Astrogators at SEE, Jan, David, Matt, Benjamin, Pat, and four anonymous—and 817 other supporters.TopicsNASA Exploring Alternative Mars Sample Return Methods - NASANASA selects seven companies for MSR studies - SpaceNewsT+273: Mars Sample Return - Main Engine Cut OffBlue Origin, SpaceX, ULA win $5.6 billion in Pentagon launch contracts - SpaceNewsT+254: Mars Sample Return, Vulcan, NSSL Phase 3 (with Eric Berger) - Main Engine Cut OffT+255: NSSL Phase 3 Addendum - Main Engine Cut OffThe ShowLike the show? Support the show!Email your thoughts, comments, and questions to anthony@mainenginecutoff.comFollow @WeHaveMECOFollow @meco@spacey.space on MastodonListen to MECO HeadlinesListen to Off-NominalJoin the Off-Nominal DiscordSubscribe on Apple Podcasts, Overcast, Pocket Casts, Spotify, Google Play, Stitcher, TuneIn or elsewhereSubscribe to the Main Engine Cut Off NewsletterArtwork photo by SpaceXWork with me and my design and development agency: Pine Works

Starliner flew its first crew, Starship flew its fourth flight, Chang'e-6 collected its first samples, and Agnikul Cosmos flew its first mission.This episode of Main Engine Cut Off is brought to you by 33 executive producers—Warren, Bob, Stealth Julian, Will and Lars from Agile Space, Harrison, Jan, Josh from Impulse Space, Russell, Lee, Donald, Ryan, Tim Dodd (the Everyday Astronaut!), Pat from KC, Theo and Violet, Joonas, Better Every Day Studios, Pat, David, Fred, The Astrogators at SEE, Matt, Tyler, Kris, Joel, Benjamin, Steve, Frank, SmallSpark Space Systems, and four anonymous—and 817 other supporters.TopicsAfter a drama-filled day, Boeing's Starliner finally finds its way | Ars TechnicaStarliner docks with International Space Station on crewed test flight - SpaceNewsStarship survives reentry during fourth test flight - SpaceNewsStarship's Fourth Flight Test - SpaceX - LaunchesSpaceX on X: “Starship made a controlled reentry, successfully making it through the phases of peak heating and max aerodynamic pressure and demonstrating the ability to control the vehicle using its flaps while descending through the atmosphere at hypersonic speeds”Chang'e-6 spacecraft dock in lunar orbit ahead of journey back to Earth - SpaceNewsCNSA Watcher on X: “Concise version Chang'e 6 sampling video on the far side of the moon.”India launches nation's 1st 3D-printed rocket engine | SpaceThe ShowLike the show? Support the show!Email your thoughts, comments, and questions to anthony@mainenginecutoff.comFollow @WeHaveMECOFollow @meco@spacey.space on MastodonListen to MECO HeadlinesListen to Off-NominalJoin the Off-Nominal DiscordSubscribe on Apple Podcasts, Overcast, Pocket Casts, Spotify, Google Play, Stitcher, TuneIn or elsewhereSubscribe to the Main Engine Cut Off NewsletterArtwork photo by ULAWork with me and my design and development agency: Pine Works

United Launch Alliance's Vulcan debut went smoothly, but sluggish hardware integration raises doubts about meeting commitments, while Orion faces heat shield issues, potentially shaking up the Artemis manifest.This episode of Main Engine Cut Off is brought to you by 33 executive producers—Lee Ryan, SmallSpark Space Systems, Benjamin, Pat, Lee, Fred, Warren, Josh from Impulse Space, Bob, Jan, Kris, Russell, The Astrogators at SEE, Tim Dodd (the Everyday Astronaut!), David, Harrison, Steve, Matt, Will and Lars from Agile Space, Joonas, Theo and Violet, Stealth Julian, Tyler, Frank, Pat from KC, Better Every Day Studios, Donald, Joel, and four anonymous—and 817 other supporters.TopicsPentagon worried by slow pace of ULA's Vulcan rocket development - The Washington PostULA could fly dummy payload on next Vulcan launch if Dream Chaser is delayed - SpaceNewsFirst Dream Chaser spaceplane needs more work when it gets to launch site | Ars TechnicaAmazon's new satellite technician certification and Kuiper facilityNASA says Artemis II report by its inspector general is unhelpful and redundant | Ars TechnicaNASA may alter Artemis III to have Starship and Orion dock in low-Earth orbit | Ars TechnicaThe ShowLike the show? Support the show!Email your thoughts, comments, and questions to anthony@mainenginecutoff.comFollow @WeHaveMECOFollow @meco@spacey.space on MastodonListen to MECO HeadlinesListen to Off-NominalJoin the Off-Nominal DiscordSubscribe on Apple Podcasts, Overcast, Pocket Casts, Spotify, Google Play, Stitcher, TuneIn or elsewhereSubscribe to the Main Engine Cut Off NewsletterArtwork photo by SpaceXWork with me and my design and development agency: Pine Works

NASA is heading back to the drawing board for a Mars Sample Return architecture, and is accepting proposals for mission studies by May. I talk about a few takeaways from the communication of that plan, and ponder whether or not SpaceX is going to do the damn thing.This episode of Main Engine Cut Off is brought to you by 33 executive producers—Lee, Benjamin, Ryan, Stealth Julian, Russell, Warren, Will and Lars from Agile Space, The Astrogators at SEE, Matt, Bob, Kris, Harrison, David, Frank, Tyler, Jan, Steve, Joel, Theo and Violet, Pat, SmallSpark Space Systems, Joonas, Better Every Day Studios, Donald, Josh from Impulse Space, Fred, Pat from KC, Tim Dodd (the Everyday Astronaut!), and four anonymous—and 818 other supporters.TopicsNASA Sets Path to Return Mars Samples, Seeks Innovative Designs - NASARapid Mission Design Studies for Mars Sample ReturnElon Musk on X: “@NASA Starship has the potential to return serious tonnage from Mars within ~5 years”NASA's Dragonfly Rotorcraft Mission to Saturn's Moon Titan ConfirmedThe ShowLike the show? Support the show!Email your thoughts, comments, and questions to anthony@mainenginecutoff.comFollow @WeHaveMECOFollow @meco@spacey.space on MastodonListen to MECO HeadlinesListen to Off-NominalJoin the Off-Nominal DiscordSubscribe on Apple Podcasts, Overcast, Pocket Casts, Spotify, Google Play, Stitcher, TuneIn or elsewhereSubscribe to the Main Engine Cut Off NewsletterArtwork photo by SpaceXWork with me and my design and development agency: Pine Works

NASA selected 3 teams to work on unpressurized rovers for Artemis, while Japan signed on officially to provide a pressurized rover in exchange for seats on Artemis landers. Elsewhere, Mitsubishi took a stake in Starlab, and I still needed to catch up on Starship's 3rd flight and the ensuing update from SpaceX.This episode of Main Engine Cut Off is brought to you by 33 executive producers—Kris, Better Every Day Studios, Tyler, Joel, Fred, Harrison, Benjamin, Donald, Lee, Russell, Warren, Pat from KC, Matt, Bob, Ryan, Josh from Impulse Space, Tim Dodd (the Everyday Astronaut!), Pat, The Astrogators at SEE, SmallSpark Space Systems, Stealth Julian, Jan, Steve, Will and Lars from Agile Space, Theo and Violet, David, Joonas, Frank, and four anonymous—and 817 other supporters.TopicsNASA selects three companies to advance Artemis lunar rover designs - SpaceNewsJapanese astronauts to land on moon as part of new NASA partnership - SpaceNewsMitsubishi takes stake in Starlab Space - SpaceNewsStarship Flight 3 Excels through most Major Milestones - NASASpaceFlight.comSpaceX planning rapid turnaround for next Starship flight - SpaceNewsElon Musk just gave another Mars speech—this time the vision seems tangible | Ars TechnicaThe ShowLike the show? Support the show!Email your thoughts, comments, and questions to anthony@mainenginecutoff.comFollow @WeHaveMECOFollow @meco@spacey.space on MastodonListen to MECO HeadlinesListen to Off-NominalJoin the Off-Nominal DiscordSubscribe on Apple Podcasts, Overcast, Pocket Casts, Spotify, Google Play, Stitcher, TuneIn or elsewhereSubscribe to the Main Engine Cut Off NewsletterArtwork photo by SpaceXWork with me and my design and development agency: Pine Works

Andrew Jones returns to the show to catch up on the Chinese space industry—Tiangong, reusable launchers, constellations, and the Moon.This episode of Main Engine Cut Off is brought to you by 35 executive producers—Tyler, Jan, Will and Lars from Agile Space, Benjamin, Warren, Pat, Russell, Craig from SpaceHappyHour.com, Theo and Violet, SmallSpark Space Systems, Steve, Fred, Stealth Julian, Better Every Day Studios, Kris, The Astrogators at SEE, David, Joonas, Pat from KC, Brandon, Donald, Josh from Impulse Space, Joel, Ryan, Matt, Harrison, Bob, Tim Dodd, the Everyday Astronaut, Lee Hopkins, Frank, and four anonymous—and 823 other supporters.TopicsAndrew Jones (@AJ_FI) / XOrienspace breaks Chinese commercial launch records with Gravity-1 solid rocket - SpaceNewsShanghai firm behind G60 megaconstellation raises $943 million - SpaceNewsChina to debut large reusable rockets in 2025 and 2026 - SpaceNewsIndia targets uncrewed Gaganyaan orbital test mission in July, crewed flight in 2025 - SpaceNewsChina rolls out rocket for Queqiao-2 lunar satellite launch - SpaceNewsChina's 2024 space plans include 100 launches and moon sample return mission - SpaceNewsThe ShowLike the show? Support the show!Email your thoughts, comments, and questions to anthony@mainenginecutoff.comFollow @WeHaveMECOFollow @meco@spacey.space on MastodonListen to MECO HeadlinesListen to Off-NominalJoin the Off-Nominal DiscordSubscribe on Apple Podcasts, Overcast, Pocket Casts, Spotify, Google Play, Stitcher, TuneIn or elsewhereSubscribe to the Main Engine Cut Off NewsletterArtwork photo by Intuitive MachinesWork with me and my design and development agency: Pine Works

Neel Kunjur, Co-Founder and CTO of K2 Space, joins me to talk about their vision for the future of satellites and the wider space industry, what they've been up to lately, and what their roadmap to the launch pad looks like from here.This episode of Main Engine Cut Off is brought to you by 35 executive producers—David, Pat from KC, Joonas, Josh from Impulse Space, Will and Lars from Agile Space, The Astrogators at SEE, Bob, Benjamin, Russell, SmallSpark Space Systems, Theo and Violet, Matt, Ryan, Warren, Brandon, Steve, Tim Dodd, the Everyday Astronaut, Fred, Tyler, Joel, Jan, Stealth Julian, Harrison, Frank, Kris, Donald, Lee Hopkins, Better Every Day Studios, Pat, Craig from SpaceHappyHour.com, and four anonymous—and 823 other supporters.TopicsK2 Space | Developing large satellites for a post-Starship futureEpisode 120 - Big Dumb Satellites - Off-NominalStartup K2 Space raises $50 million to build monster satellitesThe ShowLike the show? Support the show!Email your thoughts, comments, and questions to anthony@mainenginecutoff.comFollow @WeHaveMECOFollow @meco@spacey.space on MastodonListen to MECO HeadlinesListen to Off-NominalJoin the Off-Nominal DiscordSubscribe on Apple Podcasts, Overcast, Pocket Casts, Spotify, Google Play, Stitcher, TuneIn or elsewhereSubscribe to the Main Engine Cut Off NewsletterArtwork photo by Intuitive MachinesWork with me and my design and development agency: Pine Works

Tim Crain, Co-Founder and CTO of Intuitive Machines, joins me to talk about their recent IM-1 mission to land Odysseus on the Moon as part of NASA's CLPS program.This episode of Main Engine Cut Off is brought to you by 36 executive producers—Russell, Chris, Josh from Impulse Space, Will and Lars from Agile Space, Warren, Ryan, Matt, Harrison, Lee Hopkins, Bob, Brandon, Stealth Julian, Frank, Tim Dodd, the Everyday Astronaut, Benjamin, Steve, The Astrogators at SEE, Craig from SpaceHappyHour.com, Donald, Theo and Violet, Pat, SmallSpark Space Systems, Jan, Kris, Pat from KC, Fred, David, Tyler, Joel, Joonas, Better Every Day Studios, and four anonymous—and 823 other supporters.TopicsTim (@CrainTim) / XIntuitive MachinesIM-1 | Intuitive MachinesThe ShowLike the show? Support the show!Email your thoughts, comments, and questions to anthony@mainenginecutoff.comFollow @WeHaveMECOFollow @meco@spacey.space on MastodonListen to MECO HeadlinesListen to Off-NominalJoin the Off-Nominal DiscordSubscribe on Apple Podcasts, Overcast, Pocket Casts, Spotify, Google Play, Stitcher, TuneIn or elsewhereSubscribe to the Main Engine Cut Off NewsletterArtwork photo by Intuitive MachinesWork with me and my design and development agency: Pine Works

Eric Berger of Ars Technica joins me to talk about Intuitive Machine's successful landing despite so many issues on the mission, the future of CLPS, and the tough questions facing NASA and its budget.This episode of Main Engine Cut Off is brought to you by 36 executive producers—Tyler, Lee Hopkins, Better Every Day Studios, Joel, Jan, Will and Lars from Agile Space, Matt, Russell, Craig from SpaceHappyHour.com, Ryan, Donald, Brandon, Joonas, Fred, Tim Dodd, the Everyday Astronaut, Pat, SmallSpark Space Systems, Frank, Kris, Stealth Julian, The Astrogators at SEE, Warren, Benjamin, Steve, Chris, Theo and Violet, David, Pat from KC, Dawn Aerospace, Bob, Harrison, and four anonymous—and 823 other supporters.TopicsEric Berger (@SciGuySpace) / XEric Berger | Ars TechnicaThat moment when you land on the Moon, break a leg, and are about to topple over | Ars TechnicaIt turns out that Odysseus landed on the Moon without any altimetry data | Ars TechnicaNASA faces a quandary with its audacious lunar cargo program | Ars TechnicaBefore Ingenuity ever landed on Mars, scientists almost managed to kill it | Ars TechnicaThe ShowLike the show? Support the show!Email your thoughts, comments, and questions to anthony@mainenginecutoff.comFollow @WeHaveMECOFollow @meco@spacey.space on MastodonListen to MECO HeadlinesListen to Off-NominalJoin the Off-Nominal DiscordSubscribe on Apple Podcasts, Overcast, Pocket Casts, Spotify, Google Play, Stitcher, TuneIn or elsewhereSubscribe to the Main Engine Cut Off NewsletterArtwork photo by ULAWork with me and my design and development agency: Pine Works

I catch up with a round up of stories from January: ULA's first Vulcan launch, Blue Origin's success with its BE-4 engines and what it means for their year, Astrobotic's Peregrine mission, JAXA's SLIM mission, and NASA's announcement of Artemis delays.This episode of Main Engine Cut Off is brought to you by 36 executive producers—Tyler, Lee Hopkins, Better Every Day Studios, Joel, Jan, Will and Lars from Agile Space, Matt, Russell, Craig from SpaceHappyHour.com, Ryan, Donald, Brandon, Joonas, Fred, Tim Dodd, the Everyday Astronaut, Pat, SmallSpark Space Systems, Frank, Kris, Stealth Julian, The Astrogators at SEE, Warren, Benjamin, Steve, Chris, Theo and Violet, David, Pat from KC, Dawn Aerospace, Bob, Harrison, and four anonymous—and 828 other supporters.TopicsVulcan Centaur launches Peregrine lunar lander on inaugural mission - SpaceNewsBlue Origin gets U.S. Space Force funding for New Glenn ‘integration studies' - SpaceNewsNASA urged Astrobotic not to send its hamstrung spacecraft toward the Moon | Ars TechnicaUpdate #17 for Peregrine Mission One | AstroboticUpdate #20 for Peregrine Mission One | AstroboticJapan's SLIM achieved pinpoint moon landing with just one working engine - SpaceNewsDawoon Jung on X: “One of #SLIM main engines fell off during landing”NASA Shares Progress Toward Early Artemis Moon Missions with Crew - NASANASA delays Artemis 2 and 3 missions - SpaceNewsThe ShowLike the show? Support the show!Email your thoughts, comments, and questions to anthony@mainenginecutoff.comFollow @WeHaveMECOFollow @meco@spacey.space on MastodonListen to MECO HeadlinesListen to Off-NominalJoin the Off-Nominal DiscordSubscribe on Apple Podcasts, Overcast, Pocket Casts, Spotify, Google Play, Stitcher, TuneIn or elsewhereSubscribe to the Main Engine Cut Off NewsletterArtwork photo by NASAWork with me and my design and development agency: Pine Works

Alex Fielding, CEO and Chairman of Privateer, joins me to talk about what they're working on and what drives them as an organization.This episode of Main Engine Cut Off is brought to you by 36 executive producers—Joel, The Astrogators at SEE, Chris, Joonas, Tyler, Bob, Craig from SpaceHappyHour.com, Theo and Violet, SmallSpark Space Systems, Matt, Harrison, Benjamin, Kris, Stealth Julian, Donald, David, Fred, Lee Hopkins, Pat from KC, Pat, Frank, Will and Lars from Agile Space, Dawn Aerospace, Jan, Russell, Better Every Day Studios, Steve, Tim Dodd, the Everyday Astronaut, Warren, Ryan, Brandon, and four anonymous—and 828 other supporters.TopicsPrivateerPono in Space! Reflections on the road to orbit - Privateer SpaceThe ShowLike the show? Support the show!Email your thoughts, comments, and questions to anthony@mainenginecutoff.comFollow @WeHaveMECOFollow @meco@spacey.space on MastodonListen to MECO HeadlinesListen to Off-NominalJoin the Off-Nominal DiscordSubscribe on Apple Podcasts, Overcast, Pocket Casts, Spotify, Google Play, Stitcher, TuneIn or elsewhereSubscribe to the Main Engine Cut Off NewsletterArtwork photo by NASAWork with me and my design and development agency: Pine Works

A special (free!) airing of this week's episode of MECO Headlines. Starship IFT-2, Dragonfly, Ariane 6, ISS happenings, launches, and more.This episode of Main Engine Cut Off is brought to you by 35 executive producers—Donald, Pat from KC, David, Theo and Violet, Dawn Aerospace, Steve, SmallSpark Space Systems, Jan, Chris, Bob, Tyler, Stealth Julian, Kris, Russell, Pat, Fred, Craig from SpaceHappyHour.com, Tim Dodd, the Everyday Astronaut, Will and Lars from Agile Space, Lee, Warren, Harrison, Brandon, Joonas, The Astrogators at SEE, Matt, Ryan, Joel, Frank, Benjamin, and four anonymous—and 835 other supporters.TopicsAfter upgrades, Starship achieves numerous successes during second test flight - NASASpaceFlight.comStarship/Super Heavy lifts off on second flight - SpaceNewsAriane 6 completes long-duration static-fire test - SpaceNewsESA sets mid-2024 date for first Ariane 6 launch - SpaceNewsNASA's Dragonfly to Proceed with Final Mission Design Work - NASA ScienceNASA postpones Dragonfly review, launch date - SpaceNewsSpace Station – Off The Earth, For The EarthDragon Kicks Off Robotics and Science Activities on Station – Space StationRobotics Activities Continue; Crew Completes an Array of Research – Space StationAging, Human Research Studies Ahead of Next Cargo Mission – Space StationChina launches new-gen Haiyang ocean monitoring satellite - SpaceNewsLaunch Roundup: Starship, Falcon 9, and Chang Zheng-2C this week - NASASpaceFlight.comSatTrackCam Leiden (b)log: North Korea successfully launches the Malligyong-1 reconnaissance satelliteChina conducts launch to test satellite internet capabilities - SpaceNewsLaunch Roundup: SpaceX on pace to hit 100 launches in 2023, Soyuz to launch Bars-M - NASASpaceFlight.comThe ShowLike the show? Support the show!Email your thoughts, comments, and questions to anthony@mainenginecutoff.comFollow @WeHaveMECOFollow @meco@spacey.space on MastodonListen to MECO HeadlinesListen to Off-NominalJoin the Off-Nominal DiscordSubscribe on Apple Podcasts, Overcast, Pocket Casts, Spotify, Google Play, Stitcher, TuneIn or elsewhereSubscribe to the Main Engine Cut Off NewsletterArtwork photo by NASAWork with me and my design and development agency: Pine Works

ESA is looking to start a commercial cargo program while looking further ahead to commercial space stations by signing an agreement with Airbus and Voyager. Virgin Galactic is laying off 20% of its staff and ending VSS Unity flights in just a few months.This episode of Main Engine Cut Off is brought to you by 35 executive producers—Russell, Joonas, Kris, SmallSpark Space Systems, Tim Dodd, the Everyday Astronaut, Jan, Chris, David, Warren, Stealth Julian, Craig from SpaceHappyHour.com, Pat from KC, Frank, Donald, Pat, Fred, Dawn Aerospace, Ryan, Steve, Tyler, Brandon, Harrison, Theo and Violet, Will and Lars from Agile Space, Joel, The Astrogators at SEE, Lee, Benjamin, Bob, Matt, and four anonymous—and 821 other supporters.TopicsVoyager Space and Airbus create commercial space station joint venture - SpaceNewsESA to start commercial cargo program - SpaceNewsAirbus and Voyager sign agreement with ESA on Starlab commercial space station - SpaceNewsVirgin Galactic lays off staff as it focuses on next-generation suborbital vehicle - SpaceNewsVirgin Galactic to halt Unity suborbital flights by mid-2024 - SpaceNewsVirgin Galactic's president explains how VSS Unity is now flying frequently | Ars TechnicaThe ShowLike the show? Support the show!Email your thoughts, comments, and questions to anthony@mainenginecutoff.comFollow @WeHaveMECOFollow @meco@spacey.space on MastodonListen to MECO HeadlinesListen to Off-NominalJoin the Off-Nominal DiscordSubscribe on Apple Podcasts, Overcast, Pocket Casts, Spotify, Google Play, Stitcher, TuneIn or elsewhereSubscribe to the Main Engine Cut Off NewsletterArtwork photo by NASAWork with me and my design and development agency: Pine Works

Marcia Smith of SpacePolicyOnline.com joins me for a roundup of space policy topics—the House Speaker mayhem, the outlook for budgets over the next year, what to do about the ISS and its related expenses, and a lot more.This episode of Main Engine Cut Off is brought to you by 35 executive producers—Frank, Kris, Tyler, Fred, Lee, Pat from KC, Dawn Aerospace, Stealth Julian, Craig from SpaceHappyHour.com, Theo and Violet, Steve, Benjamin, Warren, Pat, Donald, Joel, David, Ryan, Will and Lars from Agile Space, Bob, The Astrogators at SEE, Tim Dodd, the Everyday Astronaut, Jan, SmallSpark Space Systems, Joonas, Brandon, Harrison, Matt, Chris, Russell, and four anonymous—and 838 other supporters.TopicsSpacePolicyOnline.com – Your first stop for news, information and analysis about civil, military and commercial space programsShutdown Averted, Government Funded Until November 17 – SpacePolicyOnline.comSpeaker Mike Johnson: “The People's House is Back in Business” – SpacePolicyOnline.comNASA Safety Panel Issues Clarion Call for ISS Deorbit Tug – SpacePolicyOnline.comNASA Upbeat About Future of Mars Sample Return Despite IRB-2 Report – SpacePolicyOnline.comSpaceX Warns Government Regulations Slowing Starship, Could Let China Get Ahead – SpacePolicyOnline.comNASA IG Skeptical of Major SLS Cost Savings From Services Contract – SpacePolicyOnline.comThe ShowLike the show? Support the show!Email your thoughts, comments, and questions to anthony@mainenginecutoff.comFollow @WeHaveMECOFollow @meco@spacey.space on MastodonListen to MECO HeadlinesListen to Off-NominalJoin the Off-Nominal DiscordSubscribe on Apple Podcasts, Overcast, Pocket Casts, Spotify, Google Play, Stitcher, TuneIn or elsewhereSubscribe to the Main Engine Cut Off NewsletterArtwork photo by Stoke SpaceWork with me and my design and development agency: Pine Works

Dr. Molly Mulligan and Dr. Ken Savin of Redwire join me to talk about successfully 3D bioprinting the first human knee meniscus on the International Space Station in their BioFabrication Facility, how this work fits into the near and far future of both health and the space market at large, and to discuss a wide-ranging set of related topics.This episode of Main Engine Cut Off is brought to you by 35 executive producers—Donald, Lee, Fred, Kris, Benjamin, Pat, Jan, Chris, Craig from SpaceHappyHour.com, Will and Lars from Agile Space, The Astrogators at SEE, Harrison, Joonas, Steve, Theo and Violet, Bob, Joel, Tim Dodd, the Everyday Astronaut, David, Pat from KC, Ryan, Russell, Stealth Julian, Brandon, Warren, Tyler, Dawn Aerospace, Matt, Frank, SmallSpark Space Systems, and four anonymous—and 837 other supporters.TopicsRedwire Space | Heritage + InnovationRedwire BioFabrication Facility Successfully Prints First Human Knee Meniscus on ISS, Paving the Way for Advanced In-Space Bioprinting Capabilities to Benefit Human Health | Redwire SpaceNG-18 Research: RedWire BioFabrication Facility - YouTubeThe ShowLike the show? Support the show!Email your thoughts, comments, and questions to anthony@mainenginecutoff.comFollow @WeHaveMECOFollow @meco@spacey.space on MastodonListen to MECO HeadlinesListen to Off-NominalJoin the Off-Nominal DiscordSubscribe on Apple Podcasts, Overcast, Pocket Casts, Spotify, Google Play, Stitcher, TuneIn or elsewhereSubscribe to the Main Engine Cut Off NewsletterArtwork photo by Stoke SpaceWork with me and my design and development agency: Pine Works

Chris Pearson (CEO) and Lars Osborne (Chief Engineer) of Agile Space join me to talk about what they're working on, how the company has gotten to where it is today, and what's in store for the future.This episode of Main Engine Cut Off is brought to you by 35 executive producers—Pat from KC, Chris, Benjamin, Pat, Jan, Joonas, The Astrogators at SEE, Tyler, Dawn Aerospace, Bob, Fred, Joel, Donald, Frank, Lee, Craig from SpaceHappyHour.com, Matt, Stealth Julian, Russell, Brandon, SmallSpark Space Systems, Kris, Harrison, David, Ryan, Will and Lars from Agile Space, Steve, Theo and Violet, Tim Dodd, the Everyday Astronaut, Warren, and four anonymous—and 835 other supporters.TopicsAgile Space IndustriesChris Pearson takes the reins at Agile Space Industries - SpaceNewsAgile raises $13 million to expand production - SpaceNewsAgile Qualifies a Thruster for Lunar Landings - PayloadThe ShowLike the show? Support the show!Email your thoughts, comments, and questions to anthony@mainenginecutoff.comFollow @WeHaveMECOFollow @meco@spacey.space on MastodonListen to MECO HeadlinesListen to Off-NominalJoin the Off-Nominal DiscordSubscribe on Apple Podcasts, Overcast, Pocket Casts, Spotify, Google Play, Stitcher, TuneIn or elsewhereSubscribe to the Main Engine Cut Off NewsletterArtwork photo by Stoke SpaceWork with me and my design and development agency: Pine Works

Northrop Grumman has changed plans—they've ended their own space station project, and will contribute to Starlab. At the same time, Blue Origin and Sierra Space are reconsidering their Orbital Reef plans, amidst changing leadership and raising money.This episode of Main Engine Cut Off is brought to you by 35 executive producers—Jan, Frank, The Astrogators at SEE, Tim Dodd, the Everyday Astronaut, Joonas, David, Lars from Agile Space, Matt, Harrison, Theo and Violet, Kris, Pat, Stealth Julian, Lee, Bob, Ryan, Russell, Steve, Dawn Aerospace, Donald, Joel, Will from Agile, Benjamin, Brandon, Craig from SpaceHappyHour.com, Chris, Tyler, Pat from KC, Warren, Fred, SmallSpark Space Systems, and four anonymous—and 833 other supporters.TopicsNorthrop Grumman to join Voyager Space commercial space station project - SpaceNewsBlue Origin, Sierra Space Orbital Reef space station in limboSierra Space raises $290 million - SpaceNewsJeff Bezos finally got rid of Bob Smith at Blue Origin | Ars TechnicaThe ShowLike the show? Support the show!Email your thoughts, comments, and questions to anthony@mainenginecutoff.comFollow @WeHaveMECOFollow @meco@spacey.space on MastodonListen to MECO HeadlinesListen to Off-NominalJoin the Off-Nominal DiscordSubscribe on Apple Podcasts, Overcast, Pocket Casts, Spotify, Google Play, Stitcher, TuneIn or elsewhereSubscribe to the Main Engine Cut Off NewsletterArtwork photo by Stoke SpaceWork with me and my design and development agency: Pine Works

Tom Marotta of The Spaceport Company joins me to talk about what they're working on, their vision for the future of spaceflight, spaceport operations, the demonstration they did in May, the FAA and its interaction with private companies, reentry licensing, and a whole host of other topics.This episode of Main Engine Cut Off is brought to you by 34 executive producers—Steve, Bob, Stealth Julian, David, Harrison, Lee, Jan, Joonas, Ryan, Theo and Violet, Frank, Chris, Pat, Lars and Will from Agile Space, Kris, Donald, SmallSpark Space Systems, Dawn Aerospace, Matt, Pat from KC, Tyler, Craig from SpaceHappyHour.com, Joel, Tim Dodd (the Everyday Astronaut), Fred, Benjamin, The Astrogators at SEE, Russell, Warren, and four anonymous—and 833 other supporters.TopicsTom Marotta (@thomasmarotta) / XTom Marotta | LinkedInThe Spaceport CompanyThe Spaceport Company: Overview | LinkedInThe Spaceport Company (@TheSpaceportCo) / XThe Spaceport Company- Full Length Launch ProRes HQ 4 - YouTubeThe Spaceport Company demonstrates offshore launch operations - SpaceNewsCape Congestion: World's busiest spaceport stretched to its limits - SpaceNewsThe Space Review: The spaceport bottleneckChinese Ceres-1 rocket reaches orbit with first sea launch - SpaceNewsThe High Frontier: An Easier Way: Marotta, Tom, Globus, Al: 9781719231749: Amazon.com: BooksThe ShowLike the show? Support the show!Email your thoughts, comments, and questions to anthony@mainenginecutoff.comFollow @WeHaveMECOFollow @meco@spacey.space on MastodonListen to MECO HeadlinesListen to Off-NominalJoin the Off-Nominal DiscordSubscribe on Apple Podcasts, Overcast, Pocket Casts, Spotify, Google Play, Stitcher, TuneIn or elsewhereSubscribe to the Main Engine Cut Off NewsletterArtwork photo by ISROWork with me and my design and development agency: Pine Works

Jake and Anthony are joined by Loren Grush of Bloomberg to talk about her new book, The Six: The Untold Story of America's First Women Astronauts.This episode of Main Engine Cut Off is brought to you by 34 executive producers—Frank, Chris, Joel, Fred, Tim Dodd (the Everyday Astronaut), Steve, David, Craig from SpaceHappyHour.com, Kris, Theo and Violet, Joonas, Lee, Bob, Stealth Julian, Pat, SmallSpark Space Systems, Harrison, Benjamin, Lars and Will from Agile Space, Ryan, Dawn Aerospace, Warren, The Astrogators at SEE, Tyler, Russell, Pat from KC, Matt, Jan, Donald, and four anonymous—and 842 other supporters.TopicsOff-Nominal Campaign for Relay FM/St. JudeLoren Grush - BloombergLoren Grush (@grushcrush) • Instagram photos and videosLoren Grush (@lorengrush) / TwitterOff-Nominal - YouTubeEpisode 123 - An Exciting Time (with Loren Grush) - YouTubeThe Six | Book by Loren Grush | Official Publisher Page | Simon & SchusterThe Space Shuttle Columbia tragedy: a conversation with my parents who worked the accident - The VergeThe ShowLike the show? Support the show!Email your thoughts, comments, and questions to anthony@mainenginecutoff.comFollow @WeHaveMECOFollow @meco@spacey.space on MastodonListen to MECO HeadlinesListen to Off-NominalJoin the Off-Nominal DiscordSubscribe on Apple Podcasts, Overcast, Pocket Casts, Spotify, Google Play, Stitcher, TuneIn or elsewhereSubscribe to the Main Engine Cut Off NewsletterArtwork photo by ISROWork with me and my design and development agency: Pine Works

Scott Tilley joins me to talk about ISRO's success with Chandrayaan-3, Roscosmos' Luna-25 mission and the mystery behind it, and the state of the Deep Space Network.This episode of Main Engine Cut Off is brought to you by 34 executive producers—Pat, Tim Dodd (the Everyday Astronaut), Joel, Fred, Craig from SpaceHappyHour.com, Steve, Pat from KC, Joonas, Jan, Kris, David, Frank, Russell, Tyler, Lee, The Astrogators at SEE, Warren, Benjamin, SmallSpark Space Systems, Chris, Ryan, Lars and Will from Agile Space, Dawn Aerospace, Theo and Violet, Harrison, Matt, Bob, Stealth Julian, Donald, and four anonymous—and 842 other supporters.TopicsScott Tilley

Amazon moved their Project Kuiper prototypes from Vulcan to Atlas V. Between that and some recent conversations I've had, I thought it would be a good time to check in on Kuiper and to see how they're progressing towards deployment. I do some math, and it's not good.This episode of Main Engine Cut Off is brought to you by 34 executive producers—Chris, Donald, Dawn Aerospace, Will, Tim Dodd (the Everyday Astronaut), Benjamin, Steve, Theo and Violet, Pat, Russell, The Astrogators at SEE, Harrison, Tyler, Jan, Bob, Kris, Lars from Agile Space, Pat from KC, Ryan, Lee, Stealth Julian, Warren, Craig from SpaceHappyHour.com, Fred, Matt, Frank, SmallSpark Space Systems, Joel, David, Joonas, and four anonymous—and 830 other supporters.TopicsAmazon moves Project Kuiper prototypes from Vulcan to Atlas 5 - SpaceNewsAmazon signs multibillion-dollar Project Kuiper launch contracts - SpaceNewsArianespace signs unprecedented contract with Amazon for 18 Ariane 6 launches to deploy Project Kuiper constellation - ArianespaceBlue Origin opens rocket engine factory - SpaceNewsBarry Jenakuns on X: “Fun fact, because Bezos own's Blue Origin, Amazon have to declare how much money they spend(/receive) on them. Assuming that this is for the 27 launch option, the $2.7 billion spent would give a per launch cost for New Glenn of $100 million.”Episode 120 - Big Dumb Satellites - Off-NominalThe ShowLike the show? Support the show!Email your thoughts, comments, and questions to anthony@mainenginecutoff.comFollow @WeHaveMECOFollow @meco@spacey.space on MastodonListen to MECO HeadlinesListen to Off-NominalJoin the Off-Nominal DiscordSubscribe on Apple Podcasts, Overcast, Pocket Casts, Spotify, Google Play, Stitcher, TuneIn or elsewhereSubscribe to the Main Engine Cut Off NewsletterArtwork photo by ArianespaceWork with me and my design and development agency: Pine Works

After the most recent show, I found a few nuggets of information in the NSSL Phase 3 documents, plus some more updates came out in a call that the Space Force had with some reporters.This episode of Main Engine Cut Off is brought to you by 35 executive producers—Donald, Lee, The Astrogators at SEE, Tim Dodd (the Everyday Astronaut), Kris, Simon, Pat, Pat from KC, Russell, Matt, Fred, Stealth Julian, SmallSpark Space Systems, Tyler, Jan, Dawn Aerospace, Ryan, Theo and Violet, David, Harrison, Joel, Benjamin, Frank, Bob, Chris, Will, Craig from SpaceHappyHour.com, Joonas, Steve, Lars from Agile Space, Warren, and four anonymous—and 835 other supporters.TopicsT+254: Mars Sample Return, Vulcan, NSSL Phase 3 (with Eric Berger) - Main Engine Cut OffNational Security Space Launch (NSSL) Phase 3 DRAFT Request for Proposals (RFPs) #2Space Force to select three providers of national security launch services - SpaceNewsSpace Force changed launch procurement plan due to concerns about capacity - SpaceNewsThe ShowLike the show? Support the show!Email your thoughts, comments, and questions to anthony@mainenginecutoff.comFollow @WeHaveMECOFollow @meco@spacey.space on MastodonListen to MECO HeadlinesListen to Off-NominalJoin the Off-Nominal DiscordSubscribe on Apple Podcasts, Overcast, Pocket Casts, Spotify, Google Play, Stitcher, TuneIn or elsewhereSubscribe to the Main Engine Cut Off NewsletterArtwork photo by ULAWork with me and my design and development agency: Pine Works

Eric Berger of Ars Technica joins me to talk about the budgetary threat facing Mars Sample Return, the latest issue with ULA's Vulcan vehicle, and the ongoing tweaks to the National Security Space Launch Program's Phase 3 architecture.This episode of Main Engine Cut Off is brought to you by 35 executive producers—Will, Tyler, Ryan, Stealth Julian, Lars from Agile Space, Harrison, Craig from SpaceHappyHour.com, SmallSpark Space Systems, Pat, Theo and Violet, Tim Dodd (the Everyday Astronaut), Kris, Russell, Donald, Matt, Jan, Dawn Aerospace, Steve, Bob, Benjamin, Joel, Joonas, Lee, David, Warren, Frank, Simon, Fred, Chris, The Astrogators at SEE, Pat from KC, and four anonymous—and 833 other supporters.TopicsEric Berger (@SciGuySpace) / TwitterEric Berger | Ars TechnicaNASA's Mars Sample Return has a new price tag—and it's colossal | Ars TechnicaThe Senate just lobbed a tactical nuke at NASA's Mars Sample Return program | Ars TechnicaVulcan's upper stage failed due to higher stress and weaker welds | Ars TechnicaSpace Force to select three providers of national security launch services - SpaceNewsNational Security Space Launch (NSSL) Phase 3 DRAFT Request for Proposals (RFPs) #2Stephen Clark | Ars TechnicaThe ShowLike the show? Support the show!Email your thoughts, comments, and questions to anthony@mainenginecutoff.comFollow @WeHaveMECOFollow @meco@spacey.space on MastodonListen to MECO HeadlinesListen to Off-NominalJoin the Off-Nominal DiscordSubscribe on Apple Podcasts, Overcast, Pocket Casts, Spotify, Google Play, Stitcher, TuneIn or elsewhereSubscribe to the Main Engine Cut Off NewsletterArtwork photo by Global TimesWork with me and my design and development agency: Pine Works

Adrian Beil of NASASpaceFlight.com (and a long-time beloved member of the Off-Nominal Discord) joins me to talk about the state of German and European launch, with new entrants Rocket Factory Augsburgand Isar Aerospace getting close to the launch pad, many others working their way there, and institutional launch struggling amidst delays and geopolitics.This episode of Main Engine Cut Off is brought to you by 34 executive producers—Frank, Harrison, Dawn Aerospace, Russell, Tim Dodd (the Everyday Astronaut), Bob, Pat, Benjamin, Kris, Lars from Agile Space, Craig from SpaceHappyHour.com, Stealth Julian, Joel, Fred, Simon, Theo and Violet, David, Pat from KC, The Astrogators at SEE, Tyler, Jan, Joonas, Chris, Steve, Matt, Warren, SmallSpark Space Systems, Donald, Ryan, Lee, and four anonymous—and 831 other supporters.TopicsAdrian Beil (@BCCarCounters) / TwitterAdrian Beil, Author at NASASpaceFlight.comOff-NominalRocket Factory AugsburgIsar AerospaceHyImpulseRocket Factory Augsburg on Twitter: “Four days since we wrote history in Europe – and (of course) we still get goosebumps when watching the video! Now we want to share with you again four moments from our most exciting 280 seconds ever!”The biggest Meet & Greet of the European space community! - Space Creator DayThe ShowLike the show? Support the show!Email your thoughts, comments, and questions to anthony@mainenginecutoff.comFollow @WeHaveMECOFollow @meco@spacey.space on MastodonListen to MECO HeadlinesListen to Off-NominalJoin the Off-Nominal DiscordSubscribe on Apple Podcasts, Overcast, Pocket Casts, Spotify, Google Play, Stitcher, TuneIn or elsewhereSubscribe to the Main Engine Cut Off NewsletterArtwork photo by Global TimesWork with me and my design and development agency: Pine Works